Before the 2013 NBA Draft Lottery, the only players anybody really thought were in contention for the No. 1 overall pick were Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore and, possibly, Trey Burke.However, now that the Cleveland Cavaliers have won the top overall selection, a new name is in the mix: Otto Porter.

While most insiders still believe that Noel will be the top overall pick barring some sort of setback or bad medical report on his surgically repaired knee, there is an outside chance that the Georgetown small forward could hear his name called first on June 27. Goodness knows he’s working hard enough for it.“Summer is waking up early morning, getting my exercise in—running, riding my bike for a couple of hours—and then helping around the house, things that naturally build up my strength,” Porter said at the Draft Combine in Chicago. “In the afternoon I go to the gym for four or five hours, putting up shots, working on my ball handling, working on my jumpshot.”Now, he’s a likely top-three pick (if Cleveland doesn’t take him, the Washington Wizards at No. 3 probably will), proving that all that effort isn’t for naught.“Hard work pays off,” Porter said. “You finally get the benefits of working all these nights and hours that you put into your game.”Porter compares himself to Tayshaun Prince, a prototypical small forward who at his best could defend just about anybody at the position effectively.Porter describes himself in this light as, “Long, lanky, can do a lot of things on the court, rebound, defend,” and, like Prince, he considers himself “a glue guy.”